An engineer’s report on the Moreland Mill is expected by city officials soon.
Chris Wigginton of Arco Engineering has been evaluating the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Emphasis is on the two-story section of the building, which was built as a store in 1890s.
The Hometown Heritage Museum has been in the lower floor of that part of the building for years. Plans have been made to put in a media center highlighting the works of Lewis Grizzard and Erskine Caldwell, both of whom have strong Moreland ties, and other Southern writers.
Moreland Councilmen Allyn Bell and Jeff Burgess met with Wigginton a few weeks ago. Burgess said the council “should have a report in our hands” before the end of August.
“They’re trying to put it all together for us,” Burgess said. He said, “mid-August to late August” is the target for Wigginton’s report.
At their monthly council meeting, the council voted to have Kim Kimble, who handles the town’s audit, look at the town’s books and “make sure our paperwork (is) correct,” Burgess said.
The town has been collecting Special Purpose Local Option Sales tax dollars earmarked for work at the mill for more than a decade. Burgess said he wants a clear understanding of how much money is available for the project.
Describing the auditor’s review as “covering all of our bases,” Burgess said. “I think that’s important for all of us to know.”
“We’ll have to pay him,” Town Clerk Jimmy Haynes noted at the council meeting, held in the town hall in the mill.
“I’d much rather pay him on this end than on the other end,” Burgess said.
Council members and interested citizens have visited the two-story section of the mill several times in recent weeks. The floor in one section of the lower floor was removed to enable Wigginton to fully evaluate the condition of the structure.
The mill – “ now connected into a single complex“ – was built as several components. The facility was a textile mill that provided employment for area residents for decades.
Donated to the city several years ago, the mill now contains the town hall, storage, a public meeting area, museum space and a a welcome center.
Burgess said the town is eager to move forward with the mill restoration. “I think the whole council is ready to move on this,” he stated.
